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@nimh t @anni @fitta W. A. C. OAKS, OFA READING, IENNSYLVNIA,AS-SIGNOR TOWQM. GRISCOM,

0F SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 81,529, dated August 25, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVERSIBLE KNOB-LATCH.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Beit known'thatl, W. C. OAKS, of Reading, inl the county of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in' Reversible Latch-Locks, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part ofA this specification, and in which- Figures 1 and 2 represent face views ofthe interior of a reversible latch-lock, or same in part, showing my improvement as Vapplied thereto in diiferent positions of the latch and follower.

Similar letters of reference indicate .corresponding parts. My improvement in reversible latch-locks embracesW f Firstly, such a peculiar construction of the 'follower and bolt,'or its yoke or slide, as that the back movement of the latch-bolt is e'ected for a given distance only by the follower, suiiicient to seeure the unlatehing of the bolt, after which the latter is restrained by the follower from further motion backwards, though free to be otherwise forced inwards to effect reversal of the bolt. v i

Secondly, the invention consists in such a construction of the follower and bolt ,or yoke, as that when the .bolt is pushed ,back beyond thelimit of its action by the follower, said arms are or may be disengaged from gear `with the bolt, t'o allow of 'the protrusion of the lattervfor the purpose of effecting its reversal. v

Referringto the accompanying drawing, A' represents the ease of the lock; B is an ordinary locking-bolt to the same, and C the"letchbolt.` This latter bolt, which is of a reversible character, to adapt the lock toright .and left-hand 'positions erections, is freely or loosely hung by a journal, a, in the forward end of the yoke I),

as between projections or sides Ab b, to an open slot, which forms a simple and cheap mechanical construction or mode of attaching the' bolt to tho yoke, and of allowing it to be turned when required, said holt, when not drawn out'for the purpose of reversal, being guidedat its noseor forward end by a suitable construction of the case.

Eis the follower, for operating the latch-bolt, by'turning a knob-spindle, in gear with the hub of the same, asusual. The arms c and c of this follower are so formed and the yoke Aso constructed as that, in the ordinary operationiof working the bolt, said arms will allow of the latter being forced a given distance backwards for its nose to enter the case, so as to be out of locking projection, but no further, so far asthe action of the follower in'the'bolt is concerned, the arms c and e being made, say, with hook-nosed ends el alforthe one arm c having such construction, and the opposite arni c a less prominent similar shape, or the two arms being otherwise equivalently constructed, s'o that the action of the follower on the belt through the'yoke is restricted, as specified, by, say, after such limit tothe back movement of v the bolt has beenr'aachelhy either arm at its hooked endbearing down on a step, e, of the-yokc-projectionf or f', against which thevfollower acts, withcut exerting any further tendency (as shown inviig. to m'ove beek the yoke, butv the latte-r being so hung and constructed as that when force is applied to the bevelor nose of the bolt, as, "for instance, bythe thumb, and the bolt pressed further hack, till the yoke, say, strikes theback' ot' the cusc, then. the follower can be turned sufhciently'far to cause it tol be disengaged from gear with the yoke, as represented by black lines in iig. "2, when the bolt C, with 'the yoke, is forced or thrown outwards far enough for `the nose or bevel'oi,` the bolt vto protrude clear of the edgel ot' the case, when the bolt can ,be reversed, as isrepresented in the act of beingdone by red lines in fig. 2. After this, the bolt and yoke may be pushed back, and the gear with tli'elfollow'er be re-estziblished.

To accomplish this action of the follower and yoke, the vone projection,f, is cut away or bevclled, as at e; also, it may be, the step e of such projection, made slightly bevellcd or inclined, which gives s reacly clearance for theione arm o of the follower to discngage with the yoke, and for the latter afterwards to shoot outwards, and subsequently to have its gear with the follower rfc-established. v n

It' desired, the other projection, f, 1nay bo similarly-constructed, as regards the clearance s, and the arm' c lie suitably formed, so that the follower may be turned in 'either direction to disengage it with the yoke, and to admit of the gear being established again; but to prevent confusion, it is preferred to construct these parts so that the disengagement can only be effected from the one side of the follower, or by turning it in the one. direction.

I As itis seldom or never desirable to reverse the bolt C when the lock or lock-case is on the door, but only when transferring or locating the same, accordingly as the position, so far as concerns its regular action, is required to be right or left-handed, I cause the back movement of the yoke D, necessary to effect its disengagement with the follower, in order that the bolt maybe reversed, as described, to be restrained or prevented by, say, anarm, g, of the'ycke in the rear movement of the latter to e'ect unlatchingcoming in contact with or striking the screw L, which passes through the case to secure the lock to the door. On taking out said screw, however, to remove 4the lock or ease, the parts are then free to be operated, as described. for reversal of the bolt, without taking oil` the lock-cover or plate.

To effect the shooting of the latch-bolt C and yoke D, I employ the same spring, E, as is used to control the tumbler of the lockingbolt, by extending the one end of it so ns to bring it into lock or gear with the yoke at or over the journal a, which arrangementof the spring also serves to keep the latch-bolt C down, or to its place, within the open slot formed by the side projections b 6 on the yoke, and prevents it from rattling.

What-is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. The follower E, or its arms c c', constructed substantially. as described, in combination with the steps e on the yoke-projections ff, or their equivalents, arranged in suchA manner as that. the back movement of the latch-bolt is effected for a given distance only by the follower, and so restricted by the gear of the follower with the bolt or yoke, without, however, preventing the bolt from being moved further back by direct application of force to it, essentially as herein set forth.

2. So constructing the follower-arms and bolt or yoke, against which they act to draw back the bolt, as

v that when the latter is pushed back beyond its nnlatching-position, as described, and the follower slightly further turned, said arm or arms are disengaged from gear with the bolt or its yoke to allow'ofthe protrusion of y the bolt suiiciently beyondtlie front edge of the case to admit of its reversal, substantially as specified, i W. A. C. OAKS.

Witnesses:

D. YOUNG JONES, JOHN H. RUTH. 

